It may be a holiday week, but, even after our arts critics recommended 43 great things to do this week and our music critics picked the 23 best concerts, there are still many more events happening. To prevent some of the quirkier and more extraordinary ones from slipping through the cracks, we've compiled them hereâfrom the Doomsday Clock release party to the opening of Laser Sia at the Pacific Science Center, and from a Stranger Things-themed silent disco party to a celebration for what would have been Jimi Hendrix's 75th birthday. For even more options this week, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
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TUESDAY
GEEK & GAMING1. Nerd Nite: Sense-ational Cyborgs
This monthly educational series strives to foster an "inebriated, salacious, yet deeply inquisitive vibe." This time, learn about the science behind diabetes with "real-life cyborg" Margaret Urfer and the body's somatosensory system with UW graduate student Kali Esancy.
2. Chain Letter: Holiday Extravaganza
Chain Letter, a recurring Capitol Hill-based reading and performance series "where the curated become the curators," will hold its last show of 2017. For this special holiday edition, performers include Dre, Tex Taylor, and FHTAGN.
3. Disaster Relief Fundraiser for Puerto Rico
Dino's hosts an industry evening for the Washington State Bartender's Guild. Enjoy New Jersey-style pies and drinks like Negronis on tap and support Puerto Rico. 100% of proceeds go towards disaster relief efforts.
4. Pints for Puerto Rico
Support the efforts of World Central Kitchenâs Chefs for Puerto Rico by drinking beer, eating food from Cameron Catering, bidding in a silent auction, and dancing to Galaxy DJ.
5. Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Show
MC Hoyt, the DJ of recurring Low Alternative '90s Rock Night, will return to play the greatest hits of the '90s alt and grunge days to raise money for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. There will be specials on Tito's Vodka and Fort George Brews all night long, with all funds going to the Hispanic Federation in support of Puerto Rico.
6. Doomsday Clock 11:57 PM Release Party!
Geoff Johns's Doomsday Clock, with art from Gary Frank, divulges the true nature of Watchmen's connection to the DC Universe. They add: "Instead of a midnight release party, DC's Doomsday Clock will be released three minutes before midnight, as depicted by the Doomsday Clock that has been ominously counting down towards the end of the world." Guests can also find special Doomsday Clock pins and lithographs for purchase at the party.
7. Steven Agen: Resurgence: A Sounders Evening with Mayor Greg Nickels
Former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels and author Steve Agen, who wrote Resurgence: How Sounders FC Roared Back to Win MLS Cup, will revisit the days of the Sounders' "worst-to-first" campaign in 2016.
TUESDAY-SATURDAY
ART8. Mike O'Day: A Murder of Crows
Mike O'Day's whimsical animal paintings and sculptures will make wild eyes at you all November.
Closing Saturday
TUESDAY-SUNDAY
COMEDY9. Seattle International Comedy Competition
For 26 days in November, a lengthy last-comic-standing battle rages. 32 comedians (split into two batches, each of which performs every night for one week) start the contest, and one will finish a champion. Celebrity judges and audience reactions determine who passes the preliminaries and who becomes a finalist.
No performance on Thursday
WEDNESDAY
FOOD & DRINK10. Foraged and Wild Dinner
Leave all the hunting and gathering to the professionals with this menu created by Chef Alvin Go, who's rounded up wild game and foraged foods and incorporated them into this seasonal dinner.
11. No Cookbooks Allowed No. 1
Forget about cooking by the book for the inaugural installation of this series, which honors those dishes passed down through memory, tradition, and oral history rather than text or recipe. The first guest chef is Hanh Thi Tran, who cooked for many of the event's organizers when they were young and will be sharing some of her favorite dishes. This gathering promises to be accompanied by retellings of memories, stories, and associations provoked by the food.
12. Night Lab: Board Games and Booze
Do you take your drink of choice with a side of Dungeons & Dragons or Settlers of Catan? Join fellow board game enthusiasts for a night of games and booze, featuring a special Thanksgiving-style D&D match.
13. Back to the Warehouse
When you're not playing arcade games, laser tag, mini golf, or e-sports, racing drones, or hanging out in virtual reality booths, dance to live electronic music by SoSleeppyy, Super Square, Antik, Ryan Thomas, Party Ave, and others.
14. Hurricane Rescue Benefit Show For Our Furry Friends
After the recent hurricanes in Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico, humans and animals alike are in dire need of support. This concert features a lineup of musicians from all three affected areas and benefits lost or abandoned animals by helping the ASPCA keep their rescue efforts going nationwide. Artists include Karmic Unrest, the Blood Moon Orchestra, Screens, the Drunken Guitarists, Annie O'Neill, and Loredona.
15. National Poetry Slam Qualifier
Hear work by talented local poets as they compete for a slot on Rain Cityâs National Poetry Slam team. Queer writer, emcee, and poet Naa Akua is the featured guest.
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
PERFORMANCE16. A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration
In Pulitzer-winning playwright Paula Vogel's Christmas play, "abolitionists, assassins, soldiers, enslaved and free" await Christmas Eve on the banks of the frozen Potomac. It's a piece about hope and peace in the darkest times.
THURSDAY
SPORTS & RECREATION17. Magnuson Series Turkey Trot
Make room for the Thanksgiving feast by running or waddling in a 5k, 10k, or 15k Turkey Trot (or a 400 meter kids dash) to support Teen Feed. The University Food Bank will also be collecting canned food donations.
18. Seattle Turkey Trot
Raise money for the Ballard Food Bank at this 11th annual scenic run through Ballard's Sunset Hill neighborhood and Golden Gardens.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
ART19. Storefronts UN[contained]
Storefronts UN[contained] is a residency for recognized artists of color hooked into important social issues. For November, see work by Zane Suarez, Imana Gunawan, and Imani Sims.
Artist reception on Saturday
FRIDAY
COMMUNITY20. Vanishing Seattle Pop-Up
Shop merch from #VanishingSeattle, a social media project that documents the "displaced and disappearing institutions, small businesses, homes, and communities of Seattle" while also serving as a "love letter" to the city's history. There will be totes, t-shirts, and more.
21. Artsgiving
Feel thankful for local artists at this annual open mic, wherein musicians, theatre artists, painters, dancers, and designers give three-minute performances.
22. A Benefit for Puerto Rico
Local musicians will gather to play legendary tracks from 1967 to raise money for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Rolling Stones songs will be played by Chris Friel, Gary Westlake, and Kathy Moore. Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced? will be performed by a crew including Thaddeus Turner and Kathy Moore. The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour will be performed by Paul Moore, Darren Loucas, Eric Eagle, and Wayne Horvitz.
23. Swayze! '80s Dance Party
Dance to the hot '80s tunes that might have made Swayze's blood warm at this Trashy Trash/Snap! '90s Dance Party event.
24. Walk of Gratitude
Support Rainier Valley Food Bank by walking off all the turkey and pumpkin pie you ate the night before.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
ART25. Cynthia Hibbard: Groundswell
Cynthia Hibbard's multimedia works examine "the intimate, evocative, and cryptic messaging in common ground imagery."
Closing Saturday
26. Fahim Anwar & Ashley Barnhill
Fahim Anwar, who just wrapped shooting the fifth season of Guy Code for MTV, will share the stage with Ashley Barnhill, who's best known for her appearances in Roast Battle, Just For Laughs, and Drunk History.
27. Grant Lyons
San Francisco-based comic Grant Lyons was described by the San Francisco Weekly as "a hilariously sharp observer, not one of those tired white-guy bellyachers." He'll perform three live sets.
28. Uncle Mike Ruins Christmas
Mike Murphy (Uncle Mike) re-enacts and tramples over your fond Christmas memories in a happily vulgar performance.
29. Laser Sia
Sia has written songs for Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue, and Rihanna, but you may also recognize her from her voice from the David Guetta track "Titanium." Hear a selection of pop, club, and EDM songs by the artist, set to a laser light show.
30. STEEL
Chris Fisher's play STEEL centers on a suburban New Jersey family during 9/11. As the family's young son, Walker, comes of age a few years after the attack, he begins to realize the secrets his family has been keeping in order to protect him.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
COMEDY31. A(n Improvised) Christmas Carol
You may think you know the story of A Christmas Carol, but you have no idea. Watch a team of improvisers re-create Dickens's tale based on audience suggestions.
32. Lantern Light Festival
Celebrate a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition by seeing authentic lanterns of various shapes, sizes, and colors set aglow.
33. The Paperboys 11th Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Meltdown
Spend three nights (or just one if you don't want to go whole hog) with Vancouverite folk-rockers the Paperboys as they celebrate Thanksgiving the only way they know how, with a weekend-long superset at the Triple Door for the 11th year running.
34. The Christmas Carol Rag
This musical comedy take on the Dickens classic is set in the ragtime-era world of New York City, circa 1911. Ebenezer Scrooge has been recast as an embittered woman named Evelyn who runs her sweatshop with an iron fist, but slowly opens her heart when visited by a Yiddish-spouting Ghost of Christmas Past and Gospel-wailing Ghost of Christmas Present.
SATURDAY
COMEDY35. Deck the Halls with Rachel Walls
Join stand-up comic and writer Rachel Walls and her accompanying pianist, Elena Martinez, on a musical holiday journey. They'll deliver everything from new takes on classic holiday songs to "downright sacrilege."
36. Gingerbread House Decorating with Ethnic Seattle
When you're finished shopping at the Shop Small, Shop Ethnic Holiday Market, decorate your very own gingerbread house to make your house smell like a festive cookie.
37. Holiday GloCone & Monkey Lighting
Sing holiday carols, enjoy festive treats, and see the holiday monkeys that light up the Phinney air raid tower every year.
38. Jimi Hendrix 75
Jimi Hendrix would turn 75 this weekend. Celebrate his life with rare documentary footage, oral histories, and films of some of his most memorable performances. In addition, several Hendrix artifactsâincluding the white Fender Stratocaster he played at Woodstock in 1969 and the kimono he wore on stageâwill be on display.
39. '80s vs '90s with DJ Indica Jones and Guests
Sweat it out to the almost-oldies with rival music from two great decades selected by local talent DJ Indica Jones, and special guests Wanz, Grace Love, Scarlet Parke, and #All4Doras performing live sets.
40. DigiTour Winter
Capitalism is a helluva of a drug, huh? Wringing profits from children, especially those special cherubs who resemble third cousins of Justin Bieber and were lucky enough to have a less-pageant-ready sibling to teach them Ableton, has always been an age-old American custom, only now itâs tied to the veritable cash landslide that is the intangible cyber echelon of âsocial media influencers.â From what I can tell, the baby-faced cabal of DigiTour Winter artists, namely Blake Gray, Lauren Godwin, Nathan Triska, Simon Britton, Danielle Cohn, and Aaron Melloul, are all about ready to Scrooge McDuck through some new school coin, thanks to their adorably populist YouTube accounts and Snapchat followings. Just typing this blurb makes me feel old, tired, and confused as to the source and legitimacy of talent present, and Iâm only 27. KIM SELLING
41. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis
Pity the aging prog-rockers. They are banished, with the obligatory string section, to the Wine and Cheese Circuit (outdoor amphitheaters, tiny wineries, symphony halls) or fated to wander the Elysian Fields of New Age music. Miraculously, Mannheim Steamroller skirted those two dooms with a series of Christmas records that still sell by the truckload today. Unlike their prog-progenitors (Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, et al.), who attracted an audience on the then-underground FM radio stations in the early and mid 1970s, Mannheim Steamroller found fame in hi-fi stores, which used the group's superbly recorded LPs to demonstrate audiophile stereo systems. While other prog-rockers evaporated in the 1980s, the Steamroller released a series of records, which, though titled "Fresh Aire," deftly fused Bach and Brahms to a groovy backbeat. Of course, it's not all schlock: Fresh Aire VI boasts seven seconds of the most glorious polyphony written in the last century. This stuff is noxiously catchy, so take Mom and/or Pop to this one. You'll save yourself the headache of deducing which Messiah to go hear/sing, and get your holiday excursion with the folks out of the way. CHRISTOPHER DELAURENTI
42. SoundDown Seattle
Dress as your favorite Stranger Things character or '80s icon and dance the night away in a silent disco. DJs include the Doublecrush duo and DJ RC3, who will be spinning hiphop, deep house, indie dance, electro-synth, tech house, '80s hits, and more.
43. The Tenors: Christmas Together Tour
This Canadian vocal trio, who blend classical music with contemporary pop, have performed at the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the 2010 Winter Olympics. Join them for a holiday concert to ring in the season.
44. Valeria Viniarskaia
This concert blends poetry and music based on the work of Seattle poet Valeria Viniarskaia.
45. Christmas Ship Kayak Tours
Hear the carolers aboard the Argosy Christmas Ships in a little boat of your own on this holiday kayak tour. Each tour includes an hour of paddling and 20 to 30 minutes of listening to the performance. It's sure to be chilly on the water, so wear warm clothes and snuggle with a friend before heading back to shore to enjoy warm drinks and snacks.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
COMMUNITY46. Diving Santa
Santa can do it all: Not only does the jolly man fly across the night sky, he also dives into the depths of the ocean. Bring your camera to snap a picture of Saint Nick plunging gracefully into the 120,000-gallon Window on Washington Waters exhibit. Donations will be accepted to support the aquarium's DreamNights program, which brings disabled and chronically ill children to the aquarium.
47. Santa Train
Kids and their families can hop on the holiday express in North Bend to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in Snoqualmie.
48. Holiday Panto: Beauty and the Beast
See the French fairy tale adapted into a goofy pantomime play.
49. 'Twas the Night
In this performance, you won't hear the original version of Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 children's poem "The Night Before Christmas." Instead, this family-friendly musical takes many delightfully kooky liberties.
SUNDAY
COMMUNITY50. Museum Store Sunday
This new internationally recognized event launched by the Museum Store Association encourages people to support their local museums by shopping at their gift stores. The Museum of Flight will offer free gift wrapping, holiday treats, and demos throughout the day (plus 20 percent off their merchandise).
51. Adventures in Slumberland
Lexi Angel, Russell Roberre, Morgue Anne, Terrie Belle, Smiley Peur, and Lola Moondust are just a few artists in this performance filled with "dreams, lingerie, pajamas," and the movie Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. Proceeds goes toward the affirmation surgery of a local Seattle trans person.
52. So You Think You Can Dance
Watch So You Think You Can Dance's Top 10 finalists when they swing through Seattle on their national tour.
53. Bernd Brunner: Birdmania: A Remarkable Passion for Birds
In his new book, Birdmania, Bernd Brunner showcases famous bird enthusiasts you may not know about (including George Archibald, who performed mating dances for an endangered whooping crane to encourage her to lay eggs), in addition to well-known birders like Aristotle, Charles Darwin, and Helen Macdonald.
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile appâavailable now on the App Store and Google Play.
